Stuck in the mud

One sunny afternoon, two of the Network Performance Team members went out for a site visit. It started as a check for possible radar locations but ended up as something more than what they expected.

After pulling over on the grass area on the Redoubt Rd off ramp southbound, we immediately found ourselves in DEEP trouble - LITERALLY! Although, we had a 4WD UTE which was just out of garage from servicing on that day, it was really stuck! He tried all sort of tricks - 2H, 4H, 2L and 4L (which I had no idea what they were). He moved the UTE backwards and forwards but only succeeded in creating a BIG mess. In order to keep our pride and dignity, we still believed until this day that the only reason we called for assistance in the end was to test out the efficiency of AMA incident response time. Unfortunately, our first choice was not handy (was in North Shore area at the time), so we found our knight in shining armour, N, who attended the rescue site promptly after receiving the call and pulled out the poor muddy UTE and occupants!

Thank you, N and well done for the 15 minutes response time!

Goodbye, my almost lover

I was reading her blog and she reminded me of a beautiful heartaching song that used to be close to my heart. I am listening to the song over and over again, and it triggers some sore memory. I checked my blog and it has almost been two years! Time fliers.

I am happy now, but she was right that I had learned to deal with the pain and he'll always be there in my heart but maybe in a different way.

Goodbye, my almost lover
Goodbye, my hopeless dream
I'm trying not to think about you
Can't you just let me be?
So long, my luckless romance
My back is turned on you
Should have known you'd bring me heartache
Almost lovers always do

- Almost Lover, A Fine Frezy

Auckland International Film Festival 2009

So here we are, another year of film festival. I have found that this year had less audiences than previous years. Two of my films were only half full. Is the recession finally catching up in Auckland?

A Christmas Tale
Tense with emotion....and it's kind of the film you hope you would find out the answer, but you didn't. A great family drama and full of drama.

Birdsong
As it is categorised in the book, it was a slow film. The cinematography was beautiful and quite funny. The story was simple - three wise men travelling from afar to visit the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. The three lines in Bible turned into a 90 mins tranquil film. The director was there and it made it more interesting. It's really slow and simple! I have to admit that I fall into sleep at some point, but it was okay as it was so slow that I can catch up easily without a problem :p

Blind Love
4 stories around the same theme - love and happiness for the blind people
- An old couple. The man entertained himself with listening to the sport and play piano. Life is simple with them, but they showed their support and compliments to each other just like us. The bit where Peter went under the sea and had fantacy was harilous and touching.
- A blind man and a almost blind women. She was scared the relationship won't work out, but they fought it through with his faith.
- A young mother to be. The story followed the pregnancy and the fear the child might turn out to be blind. However, she was prepared and full of optimistism. Then a 5 years old cute little boy walking into a cinema and holding his mum's hand. They sat down and he told his mum all the exciting cartoon on the big screen. Yes, he was normal and healthy. That was priceless!
- A teenager who is blind having an almost normal life in school and looking for love on the internet.

Canimo
It's probably my favorite film this year. A very well-done and smart film. It's also very controversial as it touches a cultural and religious nerve. I love the fact that when you thought things can't get worse and there was a slightness of hope, BANG, it just get 10 times worse! It made audiences laughed. It was not because it was funny, but because you just didn't know how to take the bad news! Fantastic film!

Song from the Southern Seas
I had never seen a Kazakhstan film, and that was the reason I picked this one. The story around two couples, one Russian and one Kazakhstani in remote resion. The landscape was so different! I enjoyed the simple humour and the rich of the tranditional culture.

Back off

Can you learn to accept that

• You don't have to agree with me, but I am an adult and I am responsible for my own life not you.
• I am my mum's daughter and even she has to accept that my life is mine. She can give me suggestions, but end of the day, it is me who decide what is the best for me.
• The damage from the pressure you give me is not less than the benefit I would get out from your advice.
• If I have to keep compromising and enduring, one day I'll break down
• When we eat together, I will cook the way you like. However, you need to accept that every now and then when I go out, I have the right to indulge myself and I will eat whatever I like.